Bow Tie Tip: How To Let People Know You Tied It

It’s crucial for people to tie their own bow ties; in fact, even GQ allows for the imperfection of a hand tied specimen. For instance, as Howard points out in regard to James Bond, “Follow Bond’s rule: unless you’re fighting baddies or bedding beauties, keep your bow tie tied.” Further, fashion journalist Jeffrey Podolsky asserts, “Gentlemen don’t take shortcuts.”

I’ve heard from people that with the prevalence of pre-tied options, some of their friends and family assume that they don’t tie their own bow ties. Understandably, this causes bow tie wearers to bristle. So, how do they emphasize that they tie their own?

A common tactic is that they’ll eventually leave their tie untied towards the end of an event in order to clue people in. This is a valid approach, but it is important to limit its use as maintaining a proper appearance is important — especially if one wishes to stand out by wearing neckwear that will catch people’s attention.

There are other ways to help to clue others in. It is very important to note that over time one shouldn’t wear bow ties to always scream for attention; this trait should blend into one’s persona in a way that endears people to wearers. Granted, it is fine to let a bow tie enjoy some attention every once in awhile.

However, to help one’s associates realize that they tie your own ties, one may want to play their ties up a bit in the short term. If they have any special ties (one worn by a grandfather/father/uncle/etc., one that highlights one of your hobbies or interests, and so on), they can use it as a conversation piece to give the wearer an excuse to mention that they tie their own ties. One could also offer to teach people who discuss their ties how to tie them; even some women would want to learn. Another thing one could do is tell their story about why they started to wear them and how they learned to tie them. Also, one could throw in the tidbit about how fashion outlets like GQ not only tolerate but encourage imperfection. Any of those tactics should clue friends in.

Those tactics should help. However, I’m not the only one with some helpful ideas. I asked via some of my social channels; be sure to check out the tips on these Facebook and Google+ threads.